Microchipping dramatically improves the likelihood of lost pets being reunited with their owners, preventing the welfare harm of prolonged abandonment and euthanasia in shelters.
Microchipping prevents the welfare harm that follows when pets become separated from their owners. Stray and lost animals face exposure, starvation, injury, and psychological distress. Animals arriving at shelters without identification face extended stays and ultimately euthanasia if unclaimed. The brief discomfort of microchipping is trivially small compared to the welfare protection it provides. Mandatory microchipping coupled with maintained registration databases has proven effective in improving reunion rates in countries that have implemented it.